Another Major College Football Program Reveals Jersey Patch Sponsorship for 2026

The Arkansas Razorbacks are the latest College Football program saying goodbye to tradition and hello to as many advertising dollars as possible, announcing a jersey patch for Tyson Foods, a northwestern fixture in The Natural State, for the 2026 season.

The deal will last for five years, though it's possible that it will run longer if this becomes widely accepted across the sport.

Per Sports Business Journal, "Beginning with the 2026-2027 athletic season, the Tyson Foods logo will appear on jerseys of all 19 men’s and women’s teams.

The company will also become the 'Official Protein of the Arkansas Razorbacks.' Tyson had previously seen its corporate logo appear on the field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, along with Walmart.

The jersey patch sponsorship component was facilitated in conjunction with Razorback Sports Properties, Arkansas’ local Learfield affiliate. Tyson was advised by CSL in the process."

The University of Arkansas unveiled its original on-field partnerships with the Tyson Foods brand and Walmart Inc. in September 2024, once the SEC approved on-field advertising.

At the time, Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, implied that it was a deal heavily involved with NIL/rev-share, saying, “We're excited to expand the ways in which we stand alongside these talented students."

Arkansas Joins LSU and UNLV With Jersey Patch Advertisements

Arkansas is the second SEC program to embrace jersey patches. LSU was the first, signing the longest sponsorship deal announced thus far: a seven-year agreement with Woodside Energy, a petroleum exploration and production company in Australia. It's unclear how recent world events will affect this sponsorship.

UNLV was the second, nabbing a sponsorship with Acesso, which "provides high-quality amniotic wound grafts designed to support advanced wound healing and clinical performance." Being a Mountain West program, it's assumed that Acesso is paying far less than Tyson Foods and Woodside.

Certain fanbases, like the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers, will likely hold out on undoing their jersey traditions. Neither has an alternate jersey, despite their fanbases pushing for such. A jersey patch would likely be a bridge too far for many SEC fanatics.

If UNLV could punch above its weight class as a Group of 6 school, and Arkansas and LSU can greatly benefit from the extra funds over the next few recruiting cycles, perhaps schools all over the country will see that some traditions aren't financially feasible enough to survive -- not in the profit-first-last-and-everything-in-between transition college sports and the world at large are shifting towards.